1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a printing apparatus which performs printing by ejecting the functional liquid onto a printing medium is provided with a mist processing device which processes a functional liquid mist which is generated together with the ejection of the functional liquid.
2. Related Art
In the related art, as this type of mist processing device, there is known a mist collection mechanism which subjects an ink mist which is generated together with an ejection of an ink from an ink jet head to a collection process (refer to JP-A-2014-151642). The mist collection mechanism is configured by a mist suction section which is arranged along the ink jet head and suctions an ink mist, and a gas-liquid separation section which subjects the suctioned ink mist to gas-liquid separation.
The gas-liquid separation section is provided with a gas-liquid separation cyclone, a filter unit, a blower, a waste liquid section, and a check valve (substantially an open-close valve). The mist suction section is connected to the inlet side of the gas-liquid separation cyclone, the filter unit is connected to the cyclone muffler of the gas-liquid separation cyclone, the blower is provided in the exhaust flow path which is joined to the exhaust side of the filter unit, the waste liquid section is provided on the bottom portion of the gas-liquid separation cyclone, and the check valve is provided in the waste liquid flow path which is joined to the waste liquid section. The flow path end of the waste liquid flow path is connected to the waste liquid tank.
When the blower is driven, a vortex forms within the gas-liquid separation cyclone and the ink mist which flows in from the mist suction section is subjected to gas-liquid separation. The gas (air), after the gas-liquid separation, passes through the filter unit and the blower, and is exhausted from the exhaust flow path. The liquid (the ink), after the gas-liquid separation, is temporarily reserved in the waste liquid section, and flows into the waste liquid tank due to the check valve being opened (unstopped) during non-printing.
In such a mist collection mechanism of the related art, during the printing, it is necessary to close a check valve (a valve) in order to maintain a vortex of a gas-liquid separation cyclone. Meanwhile, during the non-printing, it is necessary to open the valve in order to discharge the ink which remains in the gas-liquid separation cyclone as waste liquid. Therefore, when the valve breaks and there is an operation fault, various problems are anticipated to occur. For example, when the valve does not open (closing is maintained), the ink in a waste liquid section spills, eventually, the spilled ink is suctioned from a cyclone muffler and is discharged to the outside via an exhaust flow path. The discharged ink influences suction exhaust equipment which is an external device. Meanwhile, when the valve does not close (opening is maintained), air leaks from the waste liquid side, and suction of the ink mist and generation of the vortex are reduced. In other words, the ink mist collection becomes insufficient and the printing quality is influenced.